Photo: Syracuse Police Uniform, Patch, and Badge; source Facebook
As police shootings face increasing scrutiny, police departments must not only deal with fighting crime—but also the media and public perception, which are often not completely aware of the expectations, circumstances, and tactics involved in the use of deadly force.
Toward helping the public better understand police tactics, including the use of deadly force, the Syracuse Police Department is offering a three-day “civilian police academy” to city residents.
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Syracuse Police Chief Frank Fowler told news reporters that the course puts residents “in the shoes of a police officer” so they can gain perspective and better understand the expectations of police officers, and their response to different situations.
The course also aims to facilitate discussion about recent deadly force incidents, some of which have sparked nation-wide outrage.
The city of Syracuse regrettably had its own recent deadly force incident, involving suspect Deric Brown, who shot and killed by a Syracuse police officer during a traffic stop in October. Video of this incident shows that Brown fired his gun first at Officer Joseph Mauro III, who then returned fire. Officer Mauro was cleared of any wrongdoing.
Toward improving community relations, and promoting community-oriented policing, Syracuse PD invited residents—along with activists, church leaders, news reporters, school administrators, the Civilian Review Board members, and others to participate in the course.
It’s worth noting that community-oriented policing is more than just a training course, or an “objective” for the Syracuse Police Department. According to a recent annual report, the department has four organizational branches, one of which is the Community Services Bureau, which includes a Community Policing Division.
The three-day course will total about 10 hours of training over three days, during which time police instructors will teach and demonstrate various aspects of police work—including the use of deadly force.
